Life As It Is Now
by BlueEyes444
Summary: In the aftermath of a deadly virus that has supposedly wiped out all of mankind, Raph is the only survivor of planet Earth. Except for all the monsters...but is he really the last non-infected? AU
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my plot. So please don't sue!**

**A/N: Thanks to my beta ****Miles333**** for doing such a terrific job.**

**Also, a huge thank-you to: ****Blue Bandanna Girl, ****Miles333****, ****WebMistressGina, ****Looking For Leo****,**** and ****Narakunohinne**** for the lovely reviews. Hope you enjoy this. :D**

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Chapter One

_I was running. Running through a tunnel. My feet pounded against the cement below me. My sides heaved as my lungs fought for air._

Ring.

_Come_ _on, come_ on,_ I urged myself silently, as my feet skidded.__I slipped and fell, the jarring impact knocking the breath from my already aching lungs._ _I picked myself up and continued running, not daring to glance at the horrible creatures behind me. _

Ring_. _

_Sweat formed on my palms, and my heart beat even_ _faster. My legs felt like molasses from running so long and so far,_ _but I knew I couldn't stop now. They would never catch me. Alive, anyway._

Ring.

_I rounded yet another corner before I decided I needed to stop. I inhaled__deep gulps of air into my lungs as I leaned up against the brick wall. I could hear the creatures' feet pounding heavily towards me,_ _but I couldn't gather up enough strength to run again. _

Ring.

_I knew one thing for sure: I was doomed. _

I woke with a start, forcing my heavy eyelids open. I blinked a few times before rolling over and fumbling with my alarm clock. After a minute or two, I hit the off button then slowly set up, trying not to push the small orange tomcat that was curled upon my chest off.

It failed. Klunk rolled away from me, landing on his feet before giving a disgruntled meow. He pranced off, ears twitching as he left me alone on the floor.

I slowly got up, my left knee popping painfully as I stood. I pushed my feet out of the pile of blankets that I had earlier been sleeping in, then stretched. My shoulders gave a pop and so did my arms. Nothing beat sleeping on the floor several nights in a row.

I picked up the pile of blankets and my pillow and rolled them up before placing them a neat stack on the floor.

Walking over to the small kitchen, I went straight to Klunk's big bag of feed. I poured a generous helping into the plastic bowl, just as Klunk himself came skidding over. He rubbed around my ankles before settling down to chew on the small pebbles. I set the sack down before making my way over to the kitchen table, where I had thrown my bag earlier.

I unzipped it before riffling through the depths of the bag. Finally, my hand connected with a small bottle of pills. I pulled the bottle out, then popped the white lid off. I grabbed two pills, then fastened the lid back on and stuffed it into my bag.

I walked over to the sink and picked up a glass, holding it under the facet while turning the rusty knob. In only a second, a cool blast of water rushed out. I filled my glass, then took a big gulp. I popped the pills into my mouth and swallowed them without a second thought.

I set the glass back on the counter, glancing at the clock that hung from the wall. It was nine o'clock.

"Stupid insomnia," I growled to myself. I had finally gotten to sleep about six this morning and now it was already nine. I could tell it wasn't going be a good day today…

I went to the fridge and opened it, grimacing. Looked like today would be a skip breakfast kind of day. Nothing new. I slammed the door closed again, then made a split-second decision. I opened the door once more, grabbing a small bottle with the faded label 'Endless Energy'. If I was going to skip breakfast, then I needed to keep my energy up.

I pressed the bottle to my lips, grimacing at the disgusting aftertaste as I gulped the contents down. I threw the bottle towards an already-overflowing trashcan after finishing the entire bottle.

I jumped, feeling something that felt suspiciously like a feather duster rubbing against my ankles. It looked like Klunk had finished his bowl and was ready to go.

"Come on, Klunkie," I told the small tomcat gently, as I picked him up and set him on my shoulder. He dug his claws sharply into my skin and attached his tail around my neck. I shuddered, slowly straightening up. I'd always had this, well, not exactly a phobia, but I couldn't stand something touching my neck. I'm sure there's this big, scientific name for it, but I'd never really bothered to look it up.

Taking a moment to adjust, I grabbed my bag and swung it onto my other shoulder before hastily looking around. I didn't think I'd left anything I might need later, but when you lived the way I did, running for your life 24/7, you tended to want to be prepared as much as possible.

After doing a mental checklist, I remembered that I had forgotten my knives. Swearing under my breath, I walked over to the kitchen cabinets and pulled open one of the drawers. Inside were three very long and very sharp knifes. Pulling them out of the drawer, I tucked them tightly into m belt. I was ready. Or in this case, as ready as I'd ever be.

I hurried out the front door, pausing to lock up, then Klunk and I were gone.

I walked down Main Street, Klunk still firmly and slightly painfully attached to my shoulder as I tried to keep from blowing away in the strong wind.

I made my way towards the large sigh that was on a brick building just ahead, which read in bold letters: **Greenlaws Music and Videos**. I needed to get supplies for the next few days. It was obviously going to rain; the smell of it was in the air and the strong wind was a pretty good clue itself.

Hurrying inside, I nodded my head in a friendly way at the life-size female mannequin behind the desk, and hurried into the back. And I'm wasn't crazy, by the way. I just thought it would be nice for someone to be behind the desk, just to nod at or wave at. Whether it was a strange plastic person or not.

Okay, so maybe I was just a _little bit_ crazy. I blamed it on the Apocalypse that happened two and a half years ago, which wiped out most of the human race. And turned the other four percent into bloodsucking, flesh-eating monsters.

Apocalypses tend to do that. Turn you crazy, I mean.

I took me a few minutes to pick out a couple of different DVDs. On my way out, I waved at the mannequin behind the counter, which I fondly called Jessica. Glancing at my watch, I saw that it read 9:30. Good. I was keeping perfectly on schedule.

My next stop was the graveyard. Shell.

I swallowed hard, feeling the familiar burning sensation of tears in my eyes as I thought about going to the graveyard. It had been six days since I had last went there, and I needed to check up on things. Put some more flowers on the graves and make sure things were in order.

It was the least thing I could do for any of them.

Sighing, I tucked the movies into my bag and gave Klunk a scratch behind his ears before hurrying across the street.

Across the street was the New York City Graveyard, where I had set up six headstones sometime earlier. Actually, they were haphazard planks of plywood, which I had spray painted names on in black spray paint.

Again, it was the least I could do for them. After all, I was the only one left alive.

I sighed, forcing my feet to move towards the enclosed cemetery, petting Klunk with my hand. It was to comfort me as much as him right now.

Reaching my destination , I jumped the four foot, black pointy gate and was landed on dew-soaked grass. After walking through several lines of stoned grave-markers, I finally reached the six I was looking for.

_Casey Arnold Jones_

_B. 1981_

_D. 2008_

_A friend, fighter, husband, brother, hero._

_April Lynn O'Neil Jones_

_B. 1982_

_D. 2008_

_A friend, fighter, wife, sister, hero._

I stared down at these first two, silently reading the words. They were both heroes. Casey had saved my life that night, and April had saved Leo's. And now look at them. What they became. All for me and my brother.

Shell.

I pulled out two clumps of several different kinds of flowers from my bag and placed one on each grave. I rubbed my palm across both, smiling sadly at them before moving on to the next two.

_Hamato Splinter_

_B. ?_

_D. 2010_

_A father, friend, mentor, fighter, hero._

_Hamato Leonardo_

_B. 1990_

_D. 2010_

_A brother, friend, leader, fighter, hero._

I couldn't stop it now, the rain of tears that fell freely down my face and to the ground. Why had Master Splinter given his life for me to get away? Why had Leo shoved me out of the way when the vampire had been about to strike? I should have been the one who died that day, not them.

I fell to the ground, letting the sobs rack my body. Klunk meowed comfortably, padding on my shoulder, soft purrs echoing into my eyes.

Then I heard it. I forced myself to take several deep breaths, calming myself enough to focus on the sound I had heard. It almost sounded…oh, _shell_.

I groaned silently, wiping a hand at my probably red and very puffy eyes. Not _now_. Just my luck.

I gave a shuddering breath before forcing myslef to calm down. I listened carefully for the sound again. And unfortunately, I didn't have to wait long. The sound of a trig cracking was my reward.

I froze, stiffening. I calmly pried Klunk of my shoulder and set him in the bag, zipping it enough for him to not fall out when we started running, but leaving enough open to allow air inside. My ears strained for the slightest sound, the muscles in my body tensing for action. I calmly pulled out one of the knives from my belt, positioning it tightly into my hand and staring around through narrowed eyes.

After what felt like forever, I heard once again something. The sound of another trig crouching beneath a boot. I waited, smiling grimly. It would be over in about two seconds flat when she finally made her move.

"Three," I whispered to myself, counting down. "Two." I waited, gripping the knife tighter within my enclosed fist. "One." Slowly, I turned around, eyes connecting with slim, bare legs.

I glanced up, knowing exactly what I would see. Stomach, chest, neck, and now, face. Cold eyes staring down at me with animalistic fury. A pale, fanged woman with red hair. Her tongue flitting across her vampric lips.

"Hello, Ap. Long time, no see," I said softly, looking up at my old friend regretfully as I pushed the blade into her stomach.

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Hope that makes up for the long wait, and thanks again to all the people who reviewed, favorited, or story-alerted this. Thanks again, guys. And if you have time, please review. I would really appreciate it. :D

**Also, to my reviewers who celebrate Easter: Happy Easter and have a great day. And to the ones who don't: Have a great day! :)**


	2. Chapter Two

**************************Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, or anyone, anything or any place assorted with them. I do, however, own my plot, I am pleased to report.**

**A/N: Thanks to my super-tremendous beta, Miles333, for being just so awesome. :D**

**Also huge thanks to: WebMistressGina, Miles333, tmntia-5th, Blue Bandanna Girl, milliondollarninja, and Scribe of Tureasa for being totally awesome. :D Thanks so much for the reviews, guys. :D And for the people who either favorited or alerted, thanks too! :) Hope this makes up for the wait, the longest chapter yet.**

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Chapter Two

April howled as I pushed the blade further into her stomach. She sliced at my forearm with one of her hands, tearing it just deep enough to draw a long gash of blood.

I winced, giving the knife one more push before turning to run, hoping Klunk wouldn't mind the bumpy ride. My feet slammed heavily against the grass, and I almost stumbled but I quickly caught my balance once more and continued running. April gave another bloodcurdling scream of pain before I could hear her running after me, her own feet pounding smoothly on the concrete.

"Shell," I swore under my breath, knowing that I couldn't outrun her. Vampires can be pretty fast when they felt like it, especially when they were on the hunt for fresh meat, such as me. I almost lost my life because I wasn't fast enough before. Over the years, you tended to pick up a few things that usually came in handy.

vampires aren't like the ones in comics or movies or whatever. They can be out in the sunlight, but they can't come out at noon because the sun is high in the sky. Some weird RNA thing or something like that, I think.

But after twelve, they can come out again. And they're not pale and always slinking around in darkness all the time either. They look normal enough, besides their pointy little teeth and yellow, dilated eyes with huge black pupils.

What can I say; I've lived by myself for two years now with only Klunk for company. I get bored, so I study the monsters around here and try to figure out as much about them as possible as I try to stay alive. Everyone has to have their hobbies. Even post Apocalyptic people needed to stay busy.

Swearing much more explicitly then I had a minute ago, I suddenly remembered what had saved my life the last time. Praying that it would work again, I took a sharp turn, trying to ignore my aching lungs, feet pounding on the concrete. _Come on, come on,_ I urged myself silently, the blood pulsing through my veins. My lungs begged for air and sweat stained my body.

There. Just a few yards away. The Hudson River. Water. Vampires didn't like water.

I was so close…and that was when I tripped. My eyes saw it before my mind could connect with them, and the next thing I knew I was on the ground, my hands stinging from impact against the concrete and ankle throbbing as I landed wrong.

Shell. I wasn't going anywhere else.

They say that when you're about to die, your life flashes before of your eyes. Well, for me it didn't. The only thing I saw was April looming over me, fangs out and looking sharp and pointy.

That moment, I knew I was going to die.

You know, it's weird to think that. That you know you're going to die. But at that instant, I thought it would be true since you know, a vampire was standing over me and was about to tear into my flesh.

A sudden meow came from the bag that had fallen from my shoulder and I remembered that I had a cat in there. I grabbed it and swung it over my shoulder once again. But anyway, luckily I had prepared for emergencies like this one.

As April licked her lips and leaned over me, I didn't take my eyes off her as I reached into the back of my belt. _Please let me have remembered it yesterday,_ I pleaded silently, fingers searching urgently for the small object.

"My, fear makes blood taste salty. My favorite." The redhead licked her lips as she spoke and I felt a tingle of fear. Shell. I had forgotten they could smell emotion. Lesson number one when faced with a vampire, don't feel panic. I know it's hard, but that only encourages them. I swallowed hard and glanced straight into her eyes, trying not to show how afraid I was really feeling on the inside.

"I hear salt doesn't do well for the complexion," I replied easily, forcing my heart to steady. A little trick I had learned a few years back – when Master Splinter had been still alive – I had learned how to control my heartbeat. It was weird, and I never got why we needed to learn it but now I was thanking everyone out there that I had learned it. _Come on._ Knives, smoke bombs, crossbow…

_Where is it?_ I thought frantically, my fingers grasping for either my bottle of blessed water or one of my crosses. Either would do at the moment. This was what I got for having so many weapons tucked into such a small space.

April flashed a sinister smile that sent a shiver done my spine, then with ease reached out and jerked me to my feet. I forced back a cry of pain as her grip tightened around my arms. Shell. I had forgotten yet another thing: the

superhuman strength.

I hated to admit it but I was more scared then I had ever been in my whole life. April was staring pleasantly at my neck veins which I bet she could see were pulsing blood. This was it. All this hard work had been for nothing. The last two years were for nothing. I wasn't sure if I was dreading dying or happy to see my family that had been lost.

As my hand still desperately fingered for a weapon I could use, April decided it was time to stop fantasizing about eating me and get to work. The next thing I knew, sharp teeth were cutting through my neck.

I gasped in pain as darkness clouded my vision. I never thought I would go out like this. It felt like fire was coursing through my body, and I had never felt pain this bad before. My lungs fought for air and my legs were feeling like jelly and I knew that if April hadn't been holding onto me, I would have been limp on the ground.

Then I felt something in my hand and I realized my fingers had found my bottle of holy water. But even the simple action of throwing it onto her was too much.

I couldn't even feel the pain anymore and I felt as if I was slowly drifting away. Almost like a cloud. I felt like I could just float away. It was so strange.

Then common sense forced itself back into my head and I was thinking more clearly again. Shell this; I didn't want to die. If I did, that would mean I had failed my family and friends and all the others that had lost their lives. And Klunk wouldn't have a chance either, getting smothered or getting eaten.

I couldn't give up.

My hand clenched the bottle and my thumb easily popped the top off it. Though my muscles were screaming with pain, I managed to throw the whole bottle at her in one quick movement. She screamed with pain and I could hear her skin bubble and hiss.

She dropped me and I handed with a loud thud on the sharp concrete, Klunk giving another cry from inside the bag. If it had hurt when I tripped, it was nothing like the agony I was in now. I could feel pain beginning to break through the numbness and it was worse then it had been before.

Warm blood trailed swiftly down the side of my neck and landed on the pavement below. I was lightheaded and for some reason, I just couldn't make my mind go around the fact that I was bleeding and needed to stop it so I wouldn't bleed to death.

April shrieked again and that brought my mind back to thinking more clearly, and I realized that I really needed to get up and move. I stared at the quickly growing puddle of my own blood and decided it probably wouldn't hurt if I stopped the bleeding first.

Trying to focus past April's howls, I grabbed a spare bandana from my belt, ignoring the fact that my hand was trembling so badly I had to grip it really hard to keep it from slipping from my hand. Wrapping it unsteadily around my neck, I tied it clumsily, my hands already slick with my own blood.

Shell. I forced myself to my feet and almost went back down when my ankle tried to give out from under me. Pain laced through it and I knew I had hurt it worse than I thought when I had fallen on it only a short while ago. Gritting my teeth, I steadied myself and ignored the lightheaded feeling that was currently pulsing through me.

Limping, I pushed myself forward, knowing April would get past the pain of the blessed water sooner than later and I would be turtle soup and Klunk cat soup, if I wasn't careful. I hobbled along slowly, seeing the bay just ahead. _Bridge. Water.__Safety,_ I told myself encouragingly, listening for the slightest sign of April following me.

I was panting before I made it even close to the bridge, and I was dizzier then I had been which I knew was from the blood loss. I muttered some unsavory words under my breath, forcing my feet on. Couldn't think about that now. I needed to stay focused.

If I managed to get away alive, I'd fix myself up good as new. Besides, it wouldn't matter if I was bleeding when she killed me. Then I heard her. April. Behind me and quickly, too quickly, gaining on me. Shell, shell, _shell_.

And then I was running, painfully dragging my injured foot behind me, and trying to keep my balance, hoping I wasn't messing my foot up even more by trying to run with it dragging on the dirty ground. And then I was on the bridge. I forced myself to climb the railing before zipping the bag all the way closed.

"Sorry, Klunk," I whispered, petting the bag with a hand, a bloody handprint smearing across the dirty fabric. Shell it, I must have scrapped it when I fell. I briefly wondered why I didn't notice before I gave my head a gentle toss. Oh, well. The fresh injury didn't really matter now, in the long run.

I shot one last look at April who was about to reach me, then steadied myself as best as I could. I tightened my bandana that was still soaked with blood around my neck before I took a deep breath.

Then I jumped.

It felt like forever as I fell, like time actually stopped. Then I hit the water. Hard. And I was under.

My ankle screaming in protest, I kicked frantically towards the surface, holding on tight to the bag. I burst back to the surface of the dirty water, coughing and sputtering before the tide drug me in again.

I fought against the water, pushing with all my might to the surface, my lungs aching for air. I may have lived in sewers most of my life but I was no expert on fighting the current. I reached the top again, taking in precious gulps of air before I sunk like a rock once more.

_Come on, Hamato!_ I told myself, fighting the water. _Come on_. I reached the surface again, and the brief glimpse I got of my surroundings had me panicked. I was floating downstream to who knows where.

Then I was under yet again.

Mu muscles weak and my head beginning to feel muggy, it was hard to fight my way to the surface again. But I did, just barely, for a few precious seconds.

My last thought was that was probably going to be my final view because I knew I couldn't last up to being drug under then fighting my way to the air again.

Everything was slowly getting dark and my limbs felt heavy and weak. And I couldn't feel any of the pain anymore.

_Is this what death feels like? _I wondered dimly, sinking further and further to the bottom of the river. _Maybe it won't be so bad. I'm sure the others will understand…. _

My last coherent thought was that this was it, I was going to die.

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**Please feed the hungry writer...review. lol**


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer: I can regretfully tell you I own anything or anyone you may recognize…**

**A/N: Thanks so much to my beta, Miles333****.**

**Thanks to**: **Scribe of Turesa, tmnttia-5th****, winowa-san****, Miles333 a****nd the nameless anonymous reviewer. :D **

**And this is dedicated to winowa-san****…your Donnie will be here soon. :P **

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Chapter Three

I woke up with a gasp, eyes snapping open to find a blurry sky staring down at me. Everything swam around me and if I wasn't afraid of never waking up again, I would close my eyes. I was getting dizzy just lying here. Wherever here was.

Nausea swept over me and I groaned, trying to keep myself from throwing up.

Shell. _Everything_ hurt.

Every inch of my body stung and ached and hurt more than I could even begin to describe.

Panting, I tried to figure out where exactly I was. I remembered throwing myself off the bridge then everything went extremely cold, extremely fast than …I woke up here.

Taking a deep breath, though it hurt like shell, I sat up, my hands on the ground to for support. The world spun and the next thing I knew I was dry-heaving into the water beside me.

Wait…water?

Gasping for air, I realized that I was sitting in water.

I must have been further out of it than I thought if I hadn't noticed that I had been sitting, in water all this time.

Shell it.

And I had grown numb.

Flipping shell.

My stomach rolling and the world still spinning quickly around me, I tried to figure out the best course of action. I was numb, I couldn't feel anything, and I had no idea where I was.

The water was about three inches above my legs, which were bloodied and caked with mud, and I realized that my shell was pressed up against hard ground. Promising sign, I hoped.

Taking a deep breath, shivering too, I glanced around and noted that I was against a muddy bank, and there was a forest about seven yards behind me.

I knew…shell it. I couldn't focus. My head felt too muddled and it was killing me. The only thing that wasn't blindingly numb.

First things first: getting out of here.

Maybe it was a good thing I couldn't feel my body, that the water numbed it, cause just a hunch but I had a feeling it was going to be painful.

Then a choked-out a meow broke me from my thoughts and I froze.

Klunk. Shell. _Klunk_.

My hands fumbled and slipped in the water, searching. Klunk. Had to find Klunk.

It took me an agonizing moment to realize I had the bag around my arm.

It took me another agonizing moment to get it off, hands trembling and slippery. The bag was soaked, heavy with water, as I fumbled to unzip it.

Shell.

A lump formed my throat and I choked as I pried the two sides apart. As I looked inside, the whole world suddenly shifted.

Klunk. Klunk was alive. And a little wet.

My breath caught in my throat and I choked again, this time in pure relief as I pulled Klunk out. The cat's orange hair, fur…whatever… was soaked and he looked scared…shell, who wouldn't be?

I had to get up now. Because Klunk was depending on me.

I clutched both the cat and bag to me as I tried to weigh my options. I can't get up. I can admit it easily that I don't have that good of knowledge of the medical field. But I did know this.

I had jumped off a bridge, messed up my leg pretty bad, got taken a bite of me, and when I jumped off that said bridge, I jumped into cold water and well, it didn't take a genius to understand the fact that cold and cold-blooded do not mix…whatever the cost.

So, the point of this little remembering?

Two things.

Never, I repeat, never, do anything like what I just listed above unless you have to.

And the second is…I couldn't get up.

Okay, so here I am.

I did the only thing I could do.

I twisted around and crawled.

Not my proudest moment. But I did it anyway. I crawled. I grabbed a hold of something solid, I didn't bother to look because honestly, I probably didn't need to know what it was and started working my way upward to dry land.

It was long and it was hard and surprise, surprise, I could feel some of my arms by the time I got done. And they were killing me. But I figured that was nothing compared to what the rest of my body was going to feel like.

I panted, my lungs feeling like I couldn't get enough air in them, as I laid there, wet and muddy…and I wasn't cold anymore.

Don…said…something about hypothermia…

My mind was slow and sluggish and it was hard to think. Don…had said something about cold or…

Everything then, for the second time, decided to go black.

But, at least this time I wasn't in the water.

xxx

I was close to losing consciousness all the way.

So it was safe to say, I was pretty out of it.

But I wasn't so out of it not to notice the sniffing and feel the drool.

As it would do to any person, it brought me straight back to awareness.

I could hear my heart beating. It was so loud; I was sure whatever that was standing above me could hear it just as easily.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

I didn't move.

Another splash of drool hit me square in the face.

And it was then I knew for sure what it was.

Or who.

Klunk was beside me. Playing possum no doubt. Whoever said cats were stupid, obviously never met one. Klunk was pretty dang smart for a cat.

Okay. How was I going to get out of this? I wasn't in a too good of a state of mind and even though I was defrosting, I still couldn't feel most of my body. And shell, my body was beginning to hurt really, really bad.

"Oi, you!" _Oh, shell. I must be worse than I thought if I'm hallucinating_ Because an British female voice isn't something that would happen a lot_._

Suddenly, the werewolf that was looming over me turned; I could hear him shift.

And whatever it heard, I owed the thing thanks. This might be my change to escape. If I could get my body to work.

Even if I was likely to die right now, I knew I wasn't about to go down without a fight.

The next few seconds blurred as I threw myself out of the way, taking my bag and cat with me.

I landed wrong and…shell, it hurt. I could feel almost every part of my body and…I can't even begin to describe how much it hurt.

Then I heard the sound of the werewolf getting closer.

The large mottled paw told me I knew this wolf very well.

I froze, the blood draining from my face. No way in shell. This could _not_ be happening. But, apparently it could. Shell. Just my luck.

First April and now _him_.

I slowly looked up, all the while willing my muscles to move.

"Hey, bro," I greeted him weakly as I stared into the livid blue eyes of my snarling brother. Drool dripped from his mouth and splattered to the ground, his eyes wild and animalistic.

Then he lunged, jaws snapping inches away from my face.

I admit, I thought it was over. But like the encounter with April, it wasn't in the cards.

A blur of black pushed me down and I landed on my shell, the breath knocked out of me. Hard.

It took my eyes a few seconds to refocus and then I was staring into the face of…

A giant cat.

Shell. I _must_ be hallucinating.

The cat's gold eyes thinned and then suddenly, it was stabbing something into my plastron…

The world turned dark.

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There it is. Any thoughts?


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